This week, members of Loyal Orange Lodge 167 Roseville in Salmon Cove were gearing up for the biggest event in the group’s history.

The local group is hosting the 147th session of the Provincial Grand Lodge for the first time in its 106-year history.

“It’s something that we’ve wanted to do on a number of occasions, but the opportunity did not arise for us to do it,” recording secretary Willis Parsons told The Compass on April 30, as he and other members prepared pamphlets for the event, which was scheduled to run May 4 to 8. “But this year, we seemed to put a bit of a push at the local level to get involved. We’re only small in numbers and we thought it was too much work, but this year we took it upon ourselves to give it a try.”

L.O.L. 167 Roseville has 14 members and expects to have close to 100 people in attendance for the provincial event, which includes a banquet, parade and church service, among other festivities. Former Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Paul Davis is the scheduled guest speaker for the banquet on May 4.